45 Best Restaurants in Italy

Follow your nose to this legendary, sweet-smelling Caprese fave for breakfast, beach picnics, and on-the-hoof snacks. Buonocore lures you down its steps on a Capri Town lane with all manner of pizze, panini, gelati, and paste, including their speciality almond and lemon Caprilú biscotti.

This bustling café-bar is famed for its excellent creamy coffee and freshly made brioche—pre-COVID, it was cheek-by-jowl al banco (at the counter/bar), but for now the Veronese patrons must spill outside. The narrow space on the charming Corso Borsari cobbles is packed with coffee- and tea-making pots and cups, as are its walls with colorful gifts and oddities according to the time of year.

Grand stone rooms and a pretty terrazza sprouting olive trees make this a flexible and fab venue to breakfast, brunch, and lunch—and to socialize with evening drinks. As well as a constant stream of excellent coffee, they do a selection of pastries, great-value daily specials (pasta for just €6), and various snacks.

A popular gelateria run by a young couple offering lots of fresh house-made gelato flavors as well as interesting bubble tea options, granita, frappé, frullati, fresh fruit cups, and crepes. 

Under the porticoes of gorgeous Piazza Matteoti, with its vibrant student and dialect-speaking locals, Grosmi is a reliable choice for excellent coffee, pastries, and people-watching. Although the brioche filled with chocolate, custard, or fruit jam are staples, some opt for a small cake or macaroon to accompany their caffeine fix.

Amalfi's famed historic pasticceria (est.1830) is a must-visit for a breakfast capuccino and sflogliatella or lip-smacking limoncello with delizia al limone dessert. For the full indulgence grab a table outside but remember it's a lot cheaper and atmospheric consuming al banco (at the bar) watching the patrons and smartly attired baristi. 

At this classy Florentine institution dating from 1885, try one of the truffle panini and swish it down with a glass of prosecco.

One of the best spots in Florence for people-watching offers stellar service, light snacks, and terrific aperitivi. It's been around since the 1860s, and has been famous for its hot and cold chocolate (with or without cream) for more than a century. Though the food is mostly good (it's not a bad place for a light, but expensive, lunch), it's best to stick to drinks (both alcoholic and non-) and the terrific cakes, pies, and pastries.

Established in 1905, this Neapolitan institution on Spaccanapoli is a buzzy place to sample some of the finest pastries in town—plus it also makes classic savory dishes, ice cream, and mighty decent coffee.

The more casual little sister to long-standing favorite Vögele serves coffee and croissants for breakfast, plus all manner of focaccia, ice cream and cake, and aperitivo (think stuzzichini, or savory Italian snacks, and Aperol spritz) all day long. The prime spot on bustling Piazza Walther is perfect for people-watching while catching some rays.

Part concept store, part bar, and part fine gourmet dining experience, this unique eatery is built into a grotto underneath the Chiesa di San Carlo and specializes in deceptively simple grilled dishes and contemporary cocktails. There's live music on the weekends, but it's quite laid-back and unobtrusive.

Amalfi's historic pasticceria is famed for its candied fruits and assortment of tempting Neapolitan pastries. If you have no time to linger and indulge at their piazza tables, order at the bar for a cheaper stand-up coffee and sflogliatella  pastry fix.

Come for the beer—several varieties are brewed in-house and served in this charismatic beer hall—and stay for the meals that include wursts, meat and cheese platters, pizzas, and huge salads. Smaller wood-paneled dining rooms and a summer terrace allow for more peaceful dining.

The gilded Antico Caffè once served as an intellectual haunt for famous writers like D.H. Lawrence and Grazia Deledda, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1926. With its street-front terrace and polished-wood interior, it has anchored the base of the Bastione di St. Remy since 1855, serving as a social center from breakfast time until well after midnight; the menu features local fish and meat specialties. You can also get pastas, salads, and such desserts as tiramisu and elaborate artisanal gelato coupe concoctions. A granita di caffè con panna is sublimely refreshing on a hot summer afternoon.

This busy café-bar has outside seating on the basalti flagstones with views of the port, so you can watch the boats coming in and out while munching on sfogliatella, panino, or a semi-freddo.

Deep in the atmospheric Sotto Salone market, this busy bar does a fab selection of filled tramezzini (triangular sandwiches), panini, and other snacks. It's a great place to hear the local dialect and mingle with the market workers and shoppers any time of day; grab a breakfast coffee and brioche, a glass of Falanghina, or a bit later—after 11 am perhaps—an apertivo with snacks. Ask behind the bar or one of the locals about the various wines and snacks chalked on the board.

With eclectic vintage decor, colorful mismatched tables and chairs, and free Wi-Fi, this low-key neighborhood hot spot lures lots of expats and American travelers. In the evenings, order an aperitivo and you can accompany it with a variety of small plates brought to you at minimal cost. The outdoor tables offer prime people-watching.

This historic caffè-gelateria is in the heart of Lecce, with handsome interiors and seating out on Piazza Sant'Oronzo. From early morning to late at night this is a buzzy place where Leccesi come to meet and refuel on classic Salentino pastries like pasticciotti (ricotta- or egg-filled pastry) and zeppole. Those after savory can feast on local cheeses like burrata and hot aperitivi snacks like arancini and croquettes.

Dive right into the hustle and bustle of Catania at Caffè del Duomo, which has handmade cookies and cakes and a great local atmosphere. The piazza-front location is the main draw, but the fantastic cannoli are another reason to stop for coffee and watch the world go by.

Over a coffee or a cocktail, sit and gaze upon Santa Maria in Trastevere's glistening golden facade and the busy piazza rom a perch at Caffè di Marzio. The outdoor seating is lovely, but the interior is warm and welcoming, too.

With orario continuato, or nonstop operating hours (noon till late at night), this sleek spot in the Hotel d'Inghilterra caters to jet-setters and hotel guests. The creative global menu can mean international misfires, so it's best to select from among the authentic Northern Italian meat and Southern Italian seafood dishes such as boar with polenta, seafood soup, or classic pastas. The tempting outdoor tables are close together, but perhaps you won't mind eavesdropping on your luxurious neighbor.

Entering this antique, vaulted bar a stone's throw from the port is like stepping back into the 19th century. Order a steaming cappuccino, a glass of the local vermentino, or a freshly squeezed fruit juice, and nibble on a panino, a pizzetta, or a pastry. It's all served with politeness and heaps of old-fashioned charm. There are tables outside, too.

This central coffee bar serves lots of different espressi and cappuccini—topped with chocolate and cream and other enhancements—as well as a cornucopia of great-value tramezzini sandwiches, piadine (Italian flat-bread wraps), and panini. Pop in most times of the day (closes at 7:30 pm) for a selection of classic pasta primi and secondi, as well as healthy juices and vegan options.

With a Neapolitan street food pedigree—the Infante made famed taralli on Via Foria back in the 19th century—this is a reliable spot for ice cream, drinks, and snacks from breakfast to midnight  Sweet-tooths may be tempted by their indulgent babà in bicchiere while for those seeking savory there's bruschetta, filled pannini, and cold cuts and cheese platters, among many snacks.

The pasticceria (bakery) Dolci e Dolcezze, just off colorful Borgo La Croce, has the prettiest and tastiest cakes, sweets, and tarts in town.

Conveniently placed very near the ticket office of the Basilica of Santa Croce, this bar does it all: great coffee, terrific pastries, fine wines by the glass, and tasty sandwiches.

The Freddi family's history in Piazza Cavallotti began 100 years ago. On the edge of the historical center of town, it's still where locals queue to buy Mantua's traditional pastas and pastries—don't miss sbrisolona (meaning "crumbs" in Italian), a hybrid cookie and pie that you'll see sold everywhere with varying levels of quality. Here, the mix of flour, almonds, butter, and lemon peel is truly delightful as it crumbles in your mouth. They also have a wide selection of fresh pastas, including tortelli di zucca to take away.

Connoisseurs often say the most refined pastries in town can be found at Gran Caffè Cimmino. Many of the city's lawyers congregate here, to celebrate or commiserate with crisp, light cannoli; airy lemon eclairs; choux paste in the form of a mushroom laced with chocolate whipped cream; and delightful wild-strawberry tartlets. There are also preprepared pasta dishes for a quick lunch.